You Could Stay
by Rosebud5
Summary: "Alice, please. You could stay." Alice turned to her friend-or was he more?-and leaned in closer to him. "What an idea. A crazy, mad, wonderful idea." Hatter stood up a little straighter. "All the best ideas are." An AU ending to Burton's movie...R&R!


Hey guys! I'm baaack! Yes, I know I should be working on my CATS chapter story that's still only one chapter long *ducks head in shame* but I'm in a major AliceXTarrant mood and I'm totally ticked off at how Burton ended the movie (aren't we all?) When I first saw it in theaters I almost shouted at Alice right then and there, the second time I saw it in theaters I grumbled under my breath the whole time she was leaving, and now that I own the DVD I yell at her each time. So here's how it should have ended. Maybe if enough of us write fics like this Burton will stumble across these stories and realize he needs to do a sequel that's totally AliceXHatter or at least re-film the end of the movie and sell it as a seperate DVD. I would buy it. I think we all would. lol

Disclaimer: I don't even resemble Burton or Carol as I am a female. A'ight?

~Rosebud5

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**You Could Stay...**

Alice raised the small vial to her lips, images of England flashing in her mind. She was finally going home. She had done everything these Underlandians had asked of her (she even became Absolutely Alice) and now she was going home to refuse Hamish's hand in marriage and to expand her father's trade.

"Don't," a gentle voice came from behind her, breaking her from her thoughts. She turned around and found Hatter standing there, his eyes dull and his bow-tie drooping as much as his face. "Alice, please. You could stay."

Alice smiled at her friend (or was he more?) and leaned in closer to him, reaching out a hand and touching his chalky cheek. "What an idea. A crazy, mad, wonderful idea."

Hatter stood up a little straighter, a small smile forming. He blinked hopefully, reaching out a hand and closing it around the vial of Jabberwocky blood. "All the best ideas are," he whispered, practically quoting Alice herself.

She smiled, but then paused, her grin fading. "But I can't. I have questions I must answer. Things I'm late for."

"You're always late," Hatter deflated sadly, letting go of the bottle and taking a step back. "You best be on your way then, Alice." He leaned in to her ear, whispering softly. "Fairfarren, Alice."

"Fairfarren?" Alice looked into his eyes, confused. "Absolem told me that as well. What does it mean?"

"Farewell," Hatter replied, looking down, his eyes rimmed in black and his tie drooping so low it didn't even resemble a bow tie any more. "May you travel under fair skies."

Alice smied and then gently embraced him. He held her tight, wanting never to let go. Alice was the one who eventually broke the embrace, and then looked at Hatter again. Could she really leave him? She then looked over to where all her new friends stood, all looking sad, as if they missed her already. Alice breathed deeply. She had hated Overland. She had wanted to escape it. And she had. Here she was respected and loved, and she guessed they wouldn't mind if she had a corset and stockings on or not. In fact, they most likely did wear codfishes on their heads on some occasions. She knew she would be leaving her family, but she would also be leaving behind a life she never loved. Not like she loved Wonderland.

"Farewell?" she said at last, with a small smile. "Why would you say that when I'm staying here?"

"What?" the Hatter looked up in suprise, his eyes becoming vibrant and his bow tie popping up so fast Alice hardly saw it. "You're staying?"

Alice grinned, turning to her other friends. "If you have a place for me here."

"Of course we do!" Mirana smiled in joy, gliding over to the girl and beaming. "There's plently of rooms in Malmoreal for you, my dear."

"Thank you," Alice laughed in pure happiness. "I'll take you up on that."

"Alice?" the girl turned back to Hatter, who had just addressed her. "You promise you won't leave?"

Alice smiled and dropped the vial of Jabberwocky blood onto the ground, watching it shatter and spill all around her and Tarrant's feet. "I can't," she said gently.

Hatter's gap-tooth grin spread across his face as he embraced her hard. "Thank you, Alice. Thank you so much."

**The End**

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There. Now doesn't that make you feel more warm and fuzzy inside then the actual ending? AliceXHatter forever, I say. I wanted to yell at her when she was like "OMG, I love Wonderland but I'm going to go back to a life I was complaining about the whole first twenty minutes of the movie!" lol

Well all I can say now is **REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

~Rosey


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